Marketing is about getting the right message, to the right audience, at the right time. There is no “right” message for everyone so as you broaden your audience you dilute the message. Then before you know it your campaign isn’t performing.
When creating a campaign, it is important to understand your target audience. To do that, you have to start by realizing that while maybe you could serve every living human being. It’s stupid to market to everyone with the same message. Further, Not everyone has the same likelihood of becoming a customer.
Your target audience refers to the specific group of consumers who are most likely want your product or service. Target audiences may be dictated by age, gender, income, location, or interests. It is important to define and segment your audience in order to determine the creative messaging that will resonate with them. The more specific you are, the better the return will be.
Competition can hold clues. Find out as much about what they are offering, what they are doing, and who are they targeting. Look for similarities and how those similarities relate to your specific offering.
Here is an example to bring home the point a little more. Think about sneakers, most people own at least one pair. So, if you are a sneaker brand, your audience would be everyone, right? Nope! The most famous successful brands know they have a specific target.
Nike’s “Just Do It’ campaign highlights sports, fitness, and winning. They are targeting athletes across ages and genders. Whereas Converse is about what is your personal identity and style. They focus on uniqueness and wearing a sneaker as a statement piece. Both are very successful and yet very different target audiences.
Think about your best clients, what are the similarities among them? Age, marital status, gender? What do they continually buy from your brand? Do they refer to their friends or associates? By compiling the data, it can give you some great insight into who they are and what they need.
Hint this should give insight into possible marketing strategies. It tells you where they are on social media, what they need, and how you can help them. By having the information on your ideal customer, it gives you the words and content that best reaches them. The clarity helps you build a consistent and concise value proposition.
If you tailor a message to no one it isn’t particular. You will likely attract no one in particular. Put in other words your brand’s identity will end up being vague. It won’t resonate with anyone and your message will be inconsistent as you try to speak everybody’s language.
A brand voice is typically categorized as action-oriented, unconventional, free-spirited, or straight-forward. At the end of the day, your target audience should not be a secret. If you water down your personality, you make it forgettable.
Advertising isn’t rocket science, but it is a science. Our team can help you create a brand with a clear target market and use digital marketing strategies to get you the presence and sales. It is about taking the information and testing it, making adjustments, and watching your bottom line increase. We have done it for countless other brands, and we are happy to help you succeed in your market.